President Mahama to Hold Emergency Cabinet Meeting on Cocoa Sector Challenges – Kwakye Ofosu

President John Dramani Mahama is set to convene an emergency Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, to address mounting challenges confronting Ghana’s cocoa sector, according to the Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu.

Mr Kwakye Ofosu disclosed the development in a post on X, noting that the urgent session has been scheduled amid growing pressures within the industry, particularly severe financing constraints that have delayed payments to cocoa farmers and other actors along the value chain.

The cocoa sector has been grappling with liquidity shortfalls and payment delays to farmers and Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs), raising fears among stakeholders that the situation could destabilise the industry if swift action is not taken.

The Licensed Cocoa Buyers Association of Ghana (LICOBAG) has warned that the government must secure emergency financing to purchase an estimated 300,000 tonnes of cocoa beans by September to avert a potential collapse of the sector.

The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), which oversees cocoa pricing, purchasing and exports, has acknowledged the funding gap and confirmed that it is working with the Ministry of Finance to explore solutions. These include a possible shift away from the long-standing syndicated loan financing model that has traditionally supported cocoa purchases.

Meanwhile, cocoa farmers have expressed dissatisfaction with the pricing for the 2025/2026 crop season, arguing that the rates fall below expectations and could worsen smuggling while undermining farmer incomes.

The emergency Cabinet meeting is expected to bring together key ministers, sector experts and government officials to outline immediate interventions, including measures to ensure timely payments to farmers, secure financing for cocoa purchases and restore confidence across the cocoa value chain.

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